Thursday, February 19, 2015

February 19 : Chhatrapati Shivaji Jayanti.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj founded the Hindu Kingdom in the Deccan
against all odds, fighting against the mighty Mughals. He inspired and
united the masses to fight the tyranny of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, by
inculcating a sense of pride and nationality in them. Shivaji Maharaj
successfully led and marshalled his forces to cope and overcome several
major enemy invasions of his territories. He was also relentless in
expand-ing his Kingdom's boundaries.

At the age of 16, he took a pledge to establish a sovereign Hindu
state. He outshines all the Rulers and Generals of Bharat in the
exemplary life he lived and is thus respected by the entire
cross-section of Bharatiyas. He raised a strong army and navy,
constructed and repaired forts, used guerrilla warfare tactics,
developed a strong intelligence network and functioned like a seasoned
Statesman and General. He introduced systems in revenue collection and
warned the officials against harassment of subjects. In his private
life, his moral virtues were exceptionally high. His thoughts and deeds
were inspired by the teachings of his mother Jijabai, and great Saints
like Dnyaneshwar & Tukaram and the valiancy and ideals of the Lord
Ram and Lord Krishna. He was blessed and guided by his Guru, Samarth
Ramdas Swami. He was also an ardent devotee of Goddess Bhavani.

He always showed respect, defended and protected Holy men and places
of worship of all religions. He allowed his subjects freedom of religion
and opposed forced conversions. Shivaji Maharaj is well known for his
benevolent attitude towards his subjects. He believed that there was a
close bond between the state and the citizens. He encouraged all
socio-economic groups to participate in the ongoing political/military
struggle. The Kingdom established by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj known
as 'Hindavi Swarajya' (Sovereign Hindu state) spread beyond Attock in
Northwest Bharat (now in Pakistan) and beyond Cuttack in East Bharat in
due course, to become the strongest power in Bharat.

The history of Bharat is incomplete without the history of the
Marathas and Shivaji Maharaj is the nucleus of Maratha history. Shivaji
Maharaj has been a source of inspiration and pride to the past
generations and will continue to inspire generat-ions in the future too.
We pay our obeisance to this great Hindu King on his birth anniversary,
which falls on 19th February.